Cushion No.1 - The Cath Kidston One!

Warning - this post contains pink!

I didn't write about them at the time, but I did make some sewing New Years Resolutions.

1.  Reduce the wip pile
2. Make everything the very best I can
3. Reduce the fabric stash!

So this week I have 2 cushions to show.  Today has been a work in progress since Dec 2011 when I was given the kit as a present!

I was brand new to crochet then and my lovely lodger of the time thought this would help me hone my skills.  I eagerly set to work running up the little squares for the front, finished them all and stopped.  I think sewing of some sort happened.

It languished, unloved, for a year or so until I decided to work on the back panel.  That happened in dribs and drabs and was eventually done, but the thought of sewing it all up was far too scary!  So back into the rather pretty tin it went.

Until this New Year, when filled with zeal and a desire to finish something I pulled it off the shelf and got to work.  I stitched all the little squares together, then started going round the edges joining front and back together.

There was a short pause whilst I ordered a cushion pad off the internet and ran up a basic cover out of green satin scraps.

And then finally, in an evening I finished it!  Managing all 3 of my crafty resolutions in one.  A finished wip, using up some fabric from the stash and very definitely made to the very best of my ability!

See you on Thursday with my other new cushion!

A Small Steampunk Coat

So, remember the Mini-Rainbow Coat?  Well, in the way that babies do, Small Bean has out grown it.  But has also taken a dislike to being put in her snowsuit.  So it was clearly a good time for a new coat!

I had some green Cthulu hoodie scraps and without any real plan I started cutting and sewing.  We decided on a hood and a slightly more streamlined look.  I gave free reign to my creativity and we ended up with this!

 I feel it has a slight steampunk vibe, with it's military style buttons and little bronze butterfly applique.

I used a decorative hem stitch, mostly because I only had variegated green quilting thread to hand so I thought as it was going to be visible anyway, it might as well be pretty!

I'm well aware she doesn't need a pocket (you really need to be able to use your hands reliably before a pocket is a necessity) but it looked too sweet to leave off!

Apologies for the blurriness of this back view, Small Bean is a very wriggly child and was getting bored of Mummy and Aunty Luthaisea taking photos.

And this is the look we got that signalled her willingness to model for the day was well and truly over!

Hoodie

My beloved wanted jumpers for his birthday.  I confess I bought him two, because my knitting is just not fast enough to be a reliable present crafting skill.  But when is comes to fleece...

I have an over locker and I can run up a quick hoodie!   It has the Super-Mario mushroom to replace an earlier and much loved hoodie and was based on one of his current favourite jumpers for size.

  The hood is a bit large, but he very sweetly tells me he prefers it that way, it means he can hide better.

I'm just glad he likes it! 

Ladybird Brooch

Sometimes it's the little things!

This is a felt brooch I made from a kit I was given for Christmas!

It was very easy to assemble and I think the result is sweet.

Now I just need to find something to wear it with...

Herdy Rucksack!

For the past month or so I have had a slight keenness of knitting.  This is the end result!

This is the completed result of a kit I as given for Christmas.  It has been a real challenge for me to make.  I do not find knitting easy.  That said I have learnt 'dimple stitch' how to do mattress stitch, how to purl together throw back loops and all sorts!

Every mistake was carefully, painfully unpicked and redone.  But I'm so pleased with the rucksack I think it was worth the effort!

I thought a bag that took so long and was so hard to make deserved a special effort for the lining.  So on the lining I added a pocket with a slight bit of embroidery.

This is my sheep embroidery - it's french knots and satin stitch.  It took me a fair while to do, but, like the bag the end result is worth it.

And here's a pic of the inside.  It's not a big bag, but it fits everything I need and I love it so much!

Cot Blanket

I must admit I don't need a cot blanket in my life.  However, my reward for finishing all my Christmas crafting is always that I sew whatever I feel like.  This year I had a long for a little more rainbow patch work, but I wanted big and bold, because I wasn't in the mood to faff about.

The quilt top is made from cotton and poly cotton scraps in my fabric stash and it's bound with some cream polyester satin that my mum gave me ages ago.  Most of the satin went on making an angel costume (I'll show that in a later post).

 It has minimal in the ditch quilting along the seams and the binding is part machined and part hand stitched on.

 The backing is green fleece, left over from making my husband a hoodie (which I'll also show another time!).

It currently comes in handy for when Small Bean comes to visit and I suspect once she out grows it I will take it to work and use it there as blankets are always handy!

Pouches!

I ran these up for a couple of friends of mine who I know cook with bay (even if one of them isn't often allowed in the kitchen these days...)

These are made of cotton which I embroidered before I made it up into pouches. 

The embroidery is a very simple back stitch design I doodled up.  I also want to show you my latest hanging heart pouch.  I am very much in love with grid quilting at the moment!  This was a present for a friend who has a love of steam punk and a like of the brown and gold colour scheme.

Apologies for the shortness of this post, illness in this house has left me somewhat fuzzy headed....